Trunk.



No. 696,685. Patnted Apr. r, I9ID2.

4. P. Lzvane'oou.

TRUNK. Applicaqion filed July so, 1901,)

(No Model.)

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.. IIETTTEE @TATES PATENT @EETcE.

JACOB P. LEVERGOOD, OF IVRIGHTSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 696,685, dated April 1, 1902.

Application filed July 80, 1901.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known .that I, JACOB P. Lnvnueoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wrightsville, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvementsin Trunks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trunks; and the object in view is to provide a trunk of suchconstruction as to adapt it to be opened at any one of several points for facilitating access to any portion of the trunk without the necessity of disarran gin g the remainder of the contents.

The trunk contemplated in this invention is composed of several sections hinged together and provided with interlocking clasps and embodies a common looking or securing strap which is adapted to embrace all of the sections of the trunk for securely holding the same closed, the said strap being itself held in place by means of a single locking device. The locking-strap is so arranged with respect to the body of the trunk that when thrown downward it forms a support for the upper portion of the trunk when the latter is thrown backonitshinged connection. Theconst-ruction also enables the trunk to be packed tightly or solidly.

With the above and other objects in View, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is "a perspective view of a trunk constructed in accordance with the present invention, show ing the same closed and locked. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the top section of the trunk thrown open and the locking-strap resting on the floor. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the'trunk, showing the upper two sections thrown open and locked together. Fig. i is a similar view showing the upper three sections thrown open and resting upon the locking-strap.

Similar numerals of reference designate like parts throughout the views.

The trunk contemplated in this invention comprises, essentially, a plurality of sections 1, 2, 3, and 4, superimposed one upon the other,

Serial No. 70,282. (No model.)

ever, are of equal dimensions in plan-that is, they have equal length and Width-s0 as to fit evenly one upon the other and provide flush outer surfaces.

The several. sections 1, 2, 3, and 4 are also hingedly connected to each other at the back of the trunk, as represented at 5, while at their forward free sides they are connected by clasps 6, which enable all of the sections to be locked together and also enable the trunk to be opened at any point in line with the meeting edges of adjacent sections.

All of the sections are simultaneously locked and securely held by means ofa locking-strap 7, which is in the form of a swinging bail. The central portion of said bail or lookingstrap extends lengthwise across the top of the trunk when in looking position, as shown in Fig. 1, while the side arms thereof extend downward across the ends of all of the sections, the extremities of said arms being pivotally connected at 8 to one or more anchorstraps 9. The anchoring-straps 9 may be in one piece and consist of a strap extending along the bottom of the trunk, with the end portions upturned and lying against the ends of the bottom section of the trunk, as illustrated in the drawings. If preferred, however, the anchoring device may consist of two L-shaped straps independently secured to the ends of the lower section and extending partially thereunder. The side arms of the locking-strap are also provided at suitable points with hand-grips 10 for lifting and carrying the trunk.

In order to hold the locking-strap in its operative position, said strap is provided with a pair of combined stays and supports 10, consisting of metal straps, each of which has one end secured to the locking-strap and the opposite or outer end bent to form a hook or clasp 11, which is adapted to bear against the rear side of the top section 4 when the central portion of the locking-strap occupies a position centrally of the top of the trunk, the straps 10 thus serving to properly position the locking-strap.

Connected centrally to the locking-strap is what may be termed a hasp-bar 12. This bar is pivotally connected at 13 to the strap 7 and is provided at its free end with a pivotally-attached hasp 14, adapted to fold downward at the front of the trunk and be connected with a suitable lock 15. l/Vhen the locking-strap is thrown backward, as shown in Fig. 2, it is supported above the floor by means of the straps 10, which thus have the double function of forming supports for the locking-bar when thrown backward and stays for properly positioning and holding the strap when thrown upward over the top section of the trunk.

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that when the top sections of the trunk are thrown open they rest upon the locking-strap 7, which thus forms a support for the upper sections of the trunk. The several sections may be connected by suitable limiting-stays 16 of any usual or preferred construction.

It will thus be seen that access may be had to any one of the sections of the trunk without disturbing the other sections or their contents; also, in view of the fact that each section may be individually and separately packed the pressure is evenly distributed, and this greatly facilitates the compact storage of clothing or other articles in the several sections.

I do not desire to be limited to the details of construction hereinabove described, and accordingly reserve the right tochange, modify, or vary the construction within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. A trunk comprising a plurality of sections superimposed one upon the other, said sections being hinged together at one side and provided with clasps at the opposite side;

in combination with a bail-shaped lockingst-rap, the central portion of which is adapted to extend across the top of the trunk and the side arms of which are pivotallyconnected to the lower section, positioning-stays connected with said locking-strap, and a hasp-bar connected with said locking-strap and carrying a pivotally-attached hasp. 4

2. A trunk comprising a plurality of sections superimposed one upon the other, said sections being hinged together at one side and provided with clasps at the opposite side; in combination with a bail-shaped locking strap embracing the several sections and pivotally connected to the opposite ends of the lower section, combined supports and stays connected to the locking-strap, a hasp also connected to said locking-strap, and handgrips mounted on said strap and arranged at opposite ends of the trunk.

3. A trunk comprising a plurality of sections superimposed one upon the other, said sections being hinged together at one side and provided with clasps at the opposite side; in combination with a pivotally mounted locking-strap adapted to embrace the several sections of the trunk and also adapted to be swung to one side to form a support for the upper sections of the trunk when thrown open.

4. A trunk comprising a plurality of sections superimposed one upon the other, said sections being hinged together at one side and provided with clasps at the opposite side; in combination with an anchor-strap extending along the bottom of the lower section, a locking-bail pivotally connected at its ends thereto and adapted to extend overland embrace the remaining sections, and a hasp pivoted to said bail.

5. The combination with a trunk having a cover pivoted thereto, of an anchor-strap having its ends upturned, a bail pivotally secured to said ends, combined supports and stays connected to said bail, and having their free ends bent to form hooks or clasps, a haspbar pivoted to said bail, a hasp pivoted to 

